episode_0065

“3rd class public servant position!”

The royal banquet, normally attended only by imperial officials, was filled with nobles and notable figures of the empire for the first time in a long while.

The magnificent sight of so many people lining both sides of the royal palace, clapping their hands, was something that had not been seen since the war with the neighboring kingdom of Sylveria five years ago.

“In conducting this investigation, we spare no time in providing support, and the evil black magician who tried to shake the empire… .”

The applause grew louder as Count Julius, the Emperor’s chief chamberlain and count of the court, praised the achievements of the third-class contributors in a clear voice.

‘The crown prince is the first-class contributor, right? Wouldn’t it have been better to insert him as a second- or third-class contributor?’

‘Don’t talk nonsense. The one who actually made this investigation a success was the Crown Prince.’

‘The authors got rich thanks to those around them.’

The third-ranking officials prostrated before the emperor. The lords of the surrounding territories who responded to the crown prince’s call for troops during the recent suppression of the Abyss Sect were the subjects.

When they saw them being selected as meritorious subjects and receiving congratulations directly from the emperor, the nobles lined up in front of the emperor felt envious and jealous.

They were lucky, they said, but they could have provided enough troops if they were there, so they belittled them inwardly.

The reality is that on the outside, we can only clap our hands and celebrate.

In fact, it was an even more painful reality because there were some among them who refused the Crown Prince’s conscription of troops, claiming it was an abuse of authority.

‘I knew what would happen if I got involved with that scoundrel’s business, so I applied.’

I don’t know if it’ll end with a stomachache, but they’ve already been branded by the imperial family for acting selfishly in the face of danger to the empire.

In order to survive, I had no choice but to donate a considerable amount of money.

“Next is the second-class public servant position!”

After the congratulations of the third-class meritorious subjects were over, Count Julius then announced the position of the second-class meritorious subjects.

From the second class of meritorious subjects onwards, it was not so much the main figures who received it, but rather the people in the Imperial Intelligence Service who participated in the investigation and the knights who escorted the crown prince.

‘The Empire’s intelligence service is made up of people whose lives depend on secrecy, so they would never appear at an official function.’

The Crown Prince’s knights’ honor was great, but their fault for not protecting the Crown Prince’s body was greater, so it was fortunate that they were not punished.

People suddenly wondered who would be selected as the second-class contributor.

And when Count Julius finally called the second-class contributor, the palace became quiet for a moment.

“Second Rank Contributor Rupert Somerset. In a situation where his family was threatened, he calmly reported the dark wizard’s activities to the empire… .”

The crowd erupted at the mention of the name Rupert Somerset.

Most of the people gathered knew Rupert’s name, as he had recently become famous as a writer of children’s books and comic books.

There were murmurs of confusion everywhere, as it was not the name that would be called at the place of selection of meritorious subjects.

But, apart from the uproar, when he was announced as the second-class contributor, the entrance to the royal palace opened and the main character, Rupert Somerset, walked in slowly.

‘The author is Rupert. It’s not for nothing that they say he has a heart of iron.’

Although his physique was average, his handsome appearance had a cold air about it.

It must have been your first time entering the palace, but you weren’t nervous at all.

People thought it was as rumored as they saw him walking along the royal road with no change in expression.

A ruthless noble with a heart of iron who imprisoned his father and took over the family.

Since he took over the mansion, there was a constant stream of people coming and going late into the night, and many rumors were circulating.

Moreover, even Esteban, a powerful member of the upper class of the empire, said that he had lost his human emotions, so many people were wary of Rupert.

Recently, there have been rumors that soldiers are being trained at the parade ground at the crack of dawn, and it is said that the nobles of the surrounding territories are gripped with fear because of this.

This was because when the old Somerset earls declined, there were rumors that they were seeking bloody revenge on the surrounding nobles who had encroached on their vested interests.

“Rupert Somerset, raise your head.”

Rupert arrived at the end of the court and knelt before the Emperor, who was sitting on the throne.

As the Emperor’s solemn voice rang out, Rupert slowly raised his head and faced the Emperor.

Leonius Bell, the current emperor of the Borus Empire.

He was the second son of the former emperor and ascended to the throne through a bloody battle for succession.

Anyone who knew anything about the Emperor knew how dangerous he was.

A person who gathered forces to depose the crown prince, who was his older brother, and took over as crown prince when he was targeting him to solidify his power.

He had many brothers, but most of them died from unknown illnesses or accidents, and those who survived were just living as puppets in the capital under the emperor’s watch, barely holding on.

Is it because I have been fighting such a bloody battle?

Leonius wanted to avoid any fighting among his children, so he declared his eldest son, Alex Bell, as crown prince at an early age and controlled the other children so that they would not gain power or influence.

But even such an emperor could not control the child rearing.

It had long been a headache for the Emperor that the Crown Prince, whom he had put forward as his successor, was endangering his own position by calling him a scoundrel.

‘But now the boy is beginning to show his qualities as a monarch.’

I was so proud of my child who had grown so much in a short period of time, but I couldn’t control my anger when another problem arose to make it seem less important.

‘Isn’t it all this guy’s fault?’

The Emperor was very displeased with Rupert Somerset when he heard that the Crown Prince had suddenly become actively involved in this incident in order to help him.

In fact, it was a bit ironic considering that the prince’s change was also thanks to Rupert.

The father’s feelings when he saw his eldest son return with his arm missing could not have been more cold.

Although he was unable to treat his children warmly in order to maintain his authority as an emperor, he had no desire to put his children in danger.

However, the Emperor suppressed his feelings and praised Rupert.

“You have contributed greatly to uncovering the truth of this incident. Although it is regrettable that you did not directly inform the royal family, you did your best under the circumstances, so I hereby select you as a second-class contributor.”

When the Emperor, who had been congratulating the ball, rose from his seat and pinned the medal he had received from his attendant on Rupert’s chest, Rupert spoke softly and politely.

“This is too much of a reward for someone like me who did nothing.”

“You don’t have to be humble. Your contribution is acknowledged by all members of the investigation team.”

The Emperor was annoyed at Rupert’s humble speech. If he had received an award, he should have accepted it and left quickly. He wondered what he would say, but it was just ordinary humble words.

If it had been the same, I would have just let it go, but since it was done by someone I hate, it bothered me for no reason.

“It is not enough to say that it is my work. This matter should be solely the responsibility of the investigation team, and His Highness the Crown Prince who led the investigation team should receive it.”

“Then are you saying that you will refuse to select a public servant?”

The Emperor blurted out the words and then regretted it. It was customary to accept humility up to three times, but he found himself speaking rudely because he found Rupert annoying.

“How could I dare to refuse the title of meritorious subject bestowed upon me by the imperial family? From now on, I will strive to become a loyal subject of the imperial family worthy of a second-class meritorious subject.”

Even though the Emperor’s words revealed his bad mood, Rupert was not flustered and finished speaking.

The emperor also thought that further nitpicking would not look good, so the selection of second-class contributors was concluded like that.

Now, it was only the turn of the main character, the number one contributor.

‘You guys have heard all the rumors, right?’

‘Are you saying that the Crown Prince lost his right arm?’

‘Tsk. I thought you were finally showing your true colors as a crown prince, but you’re making up such a disqualification reason right away.’

It is already a well-known fact among the nobility of the empire that the crown prince is proudly included among the first-class contributors this time.

It was certainly surprising that the crown prince of the empire had destroyed the black magic organization, but to the nobles, it was even more surprising that the crown prince had lost his right arm.

-The royal family must be sacred and perfect!

People tend to not be able to tolerate flaws in those above them.

If it is not an ordinary noble but a member of the royal family, the evaluation will inevitably be even more strict.

For that reason, if the crown prince has achieved an achievement that would make him a first-class contributor, his position would usually be solidified.

The nobles were intrigued by the increasingly precarious situation.

‘I should consider joining the Second Prince’s side this time.’

‘The 2nd Prince is similar to the 1st Prince, so should I bet on Princess Iolin instead?’

‘The princess has many difficulties in many ways. As expected, the third prince, who is evaluated the best among the three… .’

The event continued while the nobles with such intentions clapped their hands.

Finally, three people open the door to the palace and come in.

In the middle, the Crown Prince was entering with great dignity, with Yustav and Harun following one step behind on the left and right.

“Huh?! The Crown Prince’s arm?”

“Isn’t it okay? Was it just a rumor?”

“No. That’s probably wearing a prosthetic arm, right?”

The crown prince entered after being called as the first-class contributor. Contrary to rumors, the crown prince’s right arm was in good condition.

However, since it was covered by clothes, people thought it was a golem with a beard.

“But the number of golems should be much larger.”

“That’s right. That’s really 2-3 times thicker than a normal arm.”

“Perhaps it’s just a prosthetic arm with a shape attached?”

As people’s suspicions grew, the crown prince, who had reached the end of the royal road, rolled up his sleeves as if he had been waiting.

Then, the hands and arms that were clearly visible were normal arms themselves.

“What the heck is going on?!”

It was not only the nobles who were surprised at the sight, but also the emperor.

The nobles who had never seen the crown prince in person thought the rumors were just baseless rumors, but the emperor, having personally seen his son lose his arm, could not believe the current situation.

“Sir Eustace.”

The Crown Prince called out the name of Yustav, who was standing next to him, in a relaxed manner even though the Emperor was surprised and asked urgently.

In response to the Crown Prince’s summons, Yustav recited a simple spell on the Crown Prince’s right arm as he had prepared in advance.

“Dispel.”

A dispel spell with the effect of removing spells was placed on the crown prince’s right arm.

The true nature of the crown prince’s right arm, which appeared to be an ordinary arm, began to be revealed.

“What’s that?!”

When the crown prince’s right arm was finally revealed, everyone including the emperor and the nobles gathered in front of him were shocked.

The right arm is painted black, but you can tell it’s made of metal.

It was an object of the utmost sophistication that it was impossible to even know how it was made.

There were dozens or hundreds of thin wire-like strands twisted around the joints, and the forearm and the crown prince’s shoulder were connected as if they were one.

“Alex! What the hell is that thing? What is its identity!”

The Emperor, who had never called Alex by his name in front of others, had no time to think about it and called him directly, asking urgently.

“The number of new golems.”

“Number of new golems?”

The crowd began to stir at the crown prince’s answer. The golem’s hand they knew was really as big and heavy as a golem’s arm, and it was ugly.

The Crown Prince’s new golem arm was so elaborate that it could be mistaken for a human arm.

-Iron-blooded alchemist!

When someone shouted the name of the manga , everyone started to stir again.

This is because many among the nobles noticed that it looked exactly like the new golem beast that appears in , which many are reading.

“Where on earth did you get this?”

In response to the Emperor’s question, Alex nodded while looking at one place, and then someone pushed his way through the crowd and advanced towards the throne.

“The person who created and delivered the new Golem’s Hand to me was none other than Rupert Somerset.”

The Crown Prince proudly spoke Rupert’s name, and Rupert stood next to him, his expression still unchanged.

***

“Are you saying that the craftsmen of your domain made this?”

The Emperor, looking at the new golem arm attached to the crown prince’s right arm, was unable to hide his surprise and wondered what was going on.

After hearing Rupert’s explanation, I understood the situation, but there were still many things I didn’t understand.

It was hard to believe that even the royal craftsmen could not make such an item.

“Of course, it was impossible with only the artisans of the territory.”

“What if?”

Rupert glanced at the Emperor’s question and called out to someone standing on the street in front of the palace.

Then a man appeared, carefully and slowly, carrying a box.

“No, isn’t that a dwarf?!”

“There are dwarves in the empire?”

“Oh, I never thought I’d see a dwarf in my lifetime.”

The one who brought the box was none other than the dwarf Krun.

The nobles’ reactions to seeing Krune were like seeing a rare animal, and Krune felt very bad because he felt like he had become a beast within himself, but he held it in.

It was obvious to Krun that if he caused a ruckus in a place like this, it would be detrimental not only to himself but also to Rupert, who had been indebted to him anyway.

And the emperor was also surprised by the appearance of such a crown.

Although he still interacts with the elves, his relationship with the dwarves has not yet been restored, and even the Emperor has rarely met a dwarf.

Everyone was taken aback by the appearance of the dwarf. Rupert quickly continued speaking, not wanting to miss this opportunity that everyone’s attention was focused on.

“This is a new golem created through collaboration between the dwarf Krun and the artisans of our territory.”

“It was indeed the work of a dwarf!”

The emperor couldn’t help but be surprised. Looking at the one-armed crown prince, he couldn’t help but think of the Golem’s Beast.

However, the Golem’s armor was so large and dull that it would be a laughing stock if the Crown Prince wore it, so it was not recommended.

This new type of golem arm introduced by Rupert was exactly like a human arm, from its size to its appearance.

“We thought it was right for His Highness the Crown Prince to be the first to use this new golem beast we’ve created, so we told you about it in advance last night!”

The Emperor felt an impulse to immediately leap up from his throne and embrace Rupert.

If he had just that, he would surely be able to render all the attacks the Crown Prince would receive useless.

But what needs to be confirmed needs to be confirmed.

“The newly created golem is certainly great, but is there any guarantee that it will be safe for the prince?”

The Emperor barely managed to calm his excitement and asked, fearing that if there was a problem with stability, it could be dangerous to the Crown Prince’s health.

“I guarantee that.”

It was not Rupert but someone else who answered the Emperor’s question.

“You, Eustace?”

“I participated in the final stages of manufacturing the new golem and confirmed it. It was absolutely not a thing that would harm the user.”

The Emperor’s expression brightened inexplicably at the answer of Eustace, who had stepped forward in place of Rupert, and the expression of the dwarf Krun also became triumphant.

“Of course, this body is what I made.”

“Shhh! Be quiet, Krun. I’ll give you lots of compliments when I get back.”

“I want to be praised… .”

Rupert stopped Krun from muttering quietly as the Emperor admired and delighted with the thing he had created.

“Alex, can you move your arm?”

Finally, the emperor wanted to check the performance of the arm.

It may look good on the outside, but if it doesn’t work properly, it’s just a decoration.

And as soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the Crown Prince raised his right arm and made various movements.

A new right arm in contrast to the normal arm.

The new right arm, made of black, moved freely as the Crown Prince wished without the slightest creaking.

The palace was once again in an uproar as he moved freely from his joints to his fingers, as if his lost right arm had returned.

The emperor watched the scene with tears in his eyes.

And then someone said:

“Iron-blooded… No, not iron-blooded, but steel. He is the crown prince of steel.”

It was the moment when a new title of crown prince was created instead of the derogatory term, Mangnani.